Michael W. Lucas's Blog, page 73

“DNSSEC Mastery” now complete, ebook version available!

You can now get the complete DNSSEC Mastery: Securing the Domain Name System with BIND at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and my . It should (hopefully) trickle through to iTunes & such before long.

This book was a real education to write. Hopefully it will help improve the state of DNS security across the industry. Various DNS experts have expressed approval of the book, and here’s hoping that the wider world will as well.

The book has now gone on to physical production....

“Absolute OpenBSD” auction winner

The final total on the Absolute OpenBSD first copy auction was: $1145. The lucky (for various interpretations of lucky) winner is Bill Allaire, long-time OpenBSD supporter.

Bill has already sent Austin the money, which is winging its way to the OpenBSD Foundation as I write this. So he’s lived up to his end of the bargain.

I’m not going to ship him the book when it’s printed, however. Us writers are flaky and untrustworthy, and it’s time people realize and accept this. For another reason, thoug...

“Absolute OpenBSD” auction clears $1000

Apparently double-dog daring you people works.

The Absolute OpenBSD Foundation auction is currently at $1035.

You have another day and a half to bid. Do so.

I’m delighted. And, as promised, I’ll have an ebook sale as a result. Probably during BSDCan.

This week has been maniacal for reasons completely outside of the new Absolute OpenBSD, but I should start to catch up on all the queued email, tweets, and whatnot next week.

“Absolute OpenBSD, 2nd edition” ebook download available

I’m told that No Starch Press now has the ebook for the new Absolute OpenBSD available for download. If you preordered the book, go get the electronic version while you’re waiting for the print to arrive.

If you haven’t preordered, go get it now. If you use coupon code ILUVMICHAEL, you save 30% and I make a couple extra bucks on it.

The auction for the first print copy off the press is up to $910. If it breaks $1000, I’ll post a coupon code for discounts on the electronic versions of my Mastery...

First barrier breached

The Absolute OpenBSD auction has been going about 10 hours now. In less than those 10 hours, the price exceeded the amount raised for the FreeBSD Foundation.

Well done.

But I bet you slackers can’t possibly double it. No, I DOUBLE DOG-DARE YOU to double it.

How I love picking a fight in a good cause.

First copy of “Absolute OpenBSD, 2nd ed” now on auction

You’ve asked me how to get Absolute OpenBSD early.

The answer is simple. You buy it. At auction. All proceeds to the OpenBSD Foundation.

The printer will take the first copy of Absolute OpenBSD off the press and overnight it to me. I will sign it, and label it on the title page as the first copy. I will include a Certificate of Authenticity stating that this is the one true first copy off the press. I will ship this book anywhere in the world, as fast as reasonable, at a cost of up to $100. (If...

DNSSEC Mastery release

I had hoped to get DNSSEC Mastery out before my trip next week. That’s not going to happen, thanks to the copyeditor. (And I do mean “thanks” in a completely non-sarcastic way.)

Most of her comments are easily fixable. But she goes into detail on one point that is utterly, completely, compellingly damning. “The thing I worry about is that while this book may be perfectly acceptable, if people open it up really eager to get some more good clean Lucas (strange people), then there’s not a lot of...

Misc: Books, and April Fool’s

Absolute OpenBSD is at the printer. I can do nothing more on this book. For better or worse, the book is complete. I’m resisting the urge to scream “I can do it better! Give me the book back, I will rewrite it until it doesn’t suck!”

I got copyedits back on DNSSEC Mastery. Hopefully, the ebook will be available on the weekend, with print next month.

On an unrelated note

April 1st is a tedious day, with all the efforts to be funny drifting around the Internet. Unless, of course, you’re the one pu...

Upcoming Appearances

For those who want the dubious pleasure of encountering me in meatspace:

I am a guest at Penguicon April 26-28, 2013, in Pontiac, MI, USA.

I am teaching at BSDCan, May 15-18, 2013, in Ottawa, Ontario, CA.

I expect to have copies of Absolute OpenBSD at both events. (Penguicon might be pushing it, but I’m hopeful.) I’ll sell them in person for $50USD. This is a little more expensive than buying them online, but you get hand delivery and possibly even a handshake depending on how many people have b...

LeanPub experiences, and my own ebook store

At the urging of Gerald Weinberg, I decided to try publishing my newest self-pub nonfiction book, DNSSEC Mastery, as I wrote it, using LeanPub. I offered the book at a discount for early adopters, with the intention of raising the price for the finished book. Those eager for my next book got an early peek and I got paid early.

Personally, I don’t know that I would buy a book early. But people have asked me for early access, and I do try to listen to my customers. So, what I would pay for isn’t...